Your Own Farm To Table Experience

The farm-to-table movement is growing, and you don’t have to drive to a farmers market to get fresh, organic produce!  Gardening is easier than you think and there are plenty of ways to get started with a small-scale garden.  If you don’t have time or space for a big garden, you can grow organic produce in containers, raised beds or in your windows!

Raised Beds

Unlike tilling up soil in a large patch of land, raised beds rely on soil that you bring in, which increases plant health and decreases tasks like weeding.  Creating a raised bed that is 4 by 4 feet is a good choice because you won’t have to step into it, to reach every plant.  Choose the place where the bed will go and fill it a third full with soil, add a layer of compost and organic fertilizer, and then fill the bed up to the lip with more soil.  Start planting!

Containers

Choose pots for your container garden based on plant requirements.  For example, blueberries do well in large pots.  If you grow root vegetables or leafy greens, the combinations that can grow together in containers are basically endless.  Plant one pot that contains several different herbs, and another pot with an assortment of greens.  If you want to try dwarf fruit trees, they require lots of sunlight and water.  Their pots will need to be larger, but you can easily create a decorative assortment of pots without digging up your yard!

Windowsill Garden

Herbs grow well indoors.  Herbs like chives, parsley and mint are good examples that will grow in pots on or near a window.  They just need sunlight and a well-drained soil mix.  Avoid over watering because herbs don’t like soggy soil!

No matter what your vision is for your home garden, you’ve got lots of options.  Have a wonderful summer full of fresh, healthy, home-grown meals!

Lockridge is a group on-your-own-land new home builders in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website, Facebook Page or email us.

Winter Wonderland

Winter can be a magical time of year, full of warm memories around the fireplace, great food, and family gatherings. But with all the recent snow and ice we’re passing along some tips to keep your home safe, and give you peace of mind during the low temperatures and storms!

1. Clear your gutters of leaves and debris, so water doesn’t back up and freeze inside the gutters.
2.  Make sure your downspouts are directed away from the house.   When the snow begins to melt on your roof and in your gutters, the water will drain away from your home.
3. Seal any cracks or holes in your outside walls and your homes’ foundation.
4. Keep your attic cool!  When you maintain the temperature of your attic at 5-10 degrees warmer than the outside temperature, you can help protect your roof from ice-dam damage.  This damage occurs when the heat from your home causes snow to melt at the middle of your roof, and then it refreeze at its edges.
5.  During extreme cold temperatures, protect your pipes!  Wrap exposed pipes in insulation, and keep water trickling through them regularly.  Moving water is much less likely to freeze.  You can also leave your kitchen cabinet or bathroom vanity doors open to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
6. Protect your home from flooding.  If snow is building up around your home, remove the snow from doorways, window wells, and walls.  When the built up snow melts, it can cause water damage to your home.

We want you and your home to be safe and warm for the rest of the winter.

Lockridge is an on-your-own-land new home builder in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website, Facebook Page or email us.

Cold Temps Are Here

Remember the Polar Vortex that affected most of the country earlier this year?  Well cold temperatures are headed our way again, and we’ve got some tips to get your home ready for winter!

• Gutters:  clean those gutters!  When you remove leaves and other debris you can prevent clogged downspout lines  and help stop formation of ice dams.
• HVAC Check-Up:  a licensed heating contractor can come do a complete system check-up to make sure your heating system is working safely and efficiently.  Change the interior air filters and make sure all the vents are clean and free from blockage.
• Drafts:  check your windows and doors for any cold drafty spaces.  If you find gaps, apply caulking to fill them in, and replace the sweep at the bottom of any exterior door if it’s worn.
• Fireplace:  if you have a wood-burning fireplace it’s important to have the flue checked each winter by a professional.  You can remove logs and ash from the firebox, but remember to dispose of them safely to prevent a fire hazard.
• Ceiling Fans:  reverse your ceiling fans to rotate clockwise, this will create an updraft that pushes warm air down and help make your rooms warmer.
• Exterior Faucets:  drain and shut off any exterior faucets and disconnect your garden hoses.  You don’t want these to freeze!  If you have a sprinkler system, contact a professional to drain the lines of water.
• Smoke & CO2 Detectors:  replace the batteries in all your smoke and CO2 detectors!  Even if your detectors are electrically hard-wired in your home, they probably have battery back-up.  Keep you and your family safe this winter!

We hope these hints help keep you a little warmer and safer this winter!

.Lockridge is an on-your-own-land new home builder in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website or email us.

 

Have A Safe Sparkly Halloween

Get creative when you decorate your house this Halloween!  You don’t need master carving skills to create beautifully spooky (or just beautiful) pumpkins this year.  With these tips, you also won’t need to worry about lighting candles inside your decorations.

Plain school glue and some black glitter are all you need to give pumpkins a new and chic Halloween look.  Pick an easy pattern, try a monogram or create the spookiest spider web.

First clean and dry your pumpkin.  Choose a Halloween-themed design or graphic and scale it to fit on your pumpkin.  Print the design on standard printer paper.  Cut excess paper around the image to make it more manageable and tape it to your pumpkin where you want the design to go.  Gently trace the outline of the design with a sharp pencil or pen to make an outline on the skin of your pumpkin.  Check under the paper that’s taped to your pumpkin to make sure the outline tracing is successful.

Simple graphics like the silhouette of a cat, spider or monogram initial is best for this project.

Remove the paper and look at the outline – if you’re satisfied – apply glue inside the outline of your graphic.  Example  –  if you traced the outline of a spider – put glue inside the traced lines to fill in the spider.

Use a spoon to sprinkle black (or other colored) glitter over the wet glue.  Tip the pumpkin to get excess glitter off.  Reapply the glitter until the entire glued area is coated.

Wait until it’s dry – and you’ve got a sparkly and safe Halloween decoration!

.Lockridge is an on-your-own-land new home builder in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website or email us.

 

Your Perfect Spot

 

You don’t have to choose between the perfect neighborhood and your perfect home.  Lockridge Homes can help you get the perfect fit.  If you don’t already own property, it starts with finding a lot and buying land.

Looking For Land

Find properties in the area where you’re most interested in living, then get as much information on each property as possible.  That means using resources, or a Realtor, to find which properties are available and if there are zoning requirements, deed restrictions or other issues that might affect purchasing the land.

If this is your first time buying land our Representatives can help point you in the right direction.  Lockridge may also have lots available where you want to live. Other resources include:

• Online Real Estate Sites –  www.realtor.com   www.zillow.com   let you search for land only, by price, size and location.
• Plat Directories – Check your local Chamber of Commerce or county auditor’s website for community plat directories.
• County Courthouse – they can answer land ownership questions, tell you who owns each parcel of land and let you know about local laws.
• Visit the Community – if you want to live in a planned community instead of a more private property go to a community event or visit a dog park in the neighborhood you like.  The homeowners are a great resource and will tell you what they like and don’t like about living there.

Pick Your Location

Choosing your right location is a process. Maybe you already know you want conveniences close by and space for your kids to play, but there are other factors you may want to consider.

• Prioritize – Do you dream of have a gas station, grocery store and restaurants close by? You might not get all of them within a few minutes’ drive, so look at your preferences and prioritize them. If proximity to the grocery store is your number-one priority, start your search around that. When you write down your “must haves” you can narrow your search.
• Your Children – School districts are also a top priority when you have children. Land located in a good school district may be more expensive, but it will raise and retain the value of your new home. Visit greatschools.org to find out how local schools are rated. Their ratings are based on test scores and not the students’ experience at the school, so be sure to read the parent and student reviews on the website too.

The Nitty-Gritty

When you’ve found the property you love, here are some tips that will help you with the purchase and site work costs.

• Property must be surveyed by a registered surveyor, and a plat on file with your County.
• Contact your County office for septic or public utility information.
• Make sure there aren’t any deed restrictions or liens on the property
• Find out if the property is in a flood zone

Lockridge wants to build you the home of your dreams, in your perfect spot.  In some of our areas Lockridge can build on your land or ours.  Ask a local Lockridge Representative for more information or Ask Helen our online representative.

.Lockridge is an on-your-own-land new home builder in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website or email us.

Financing Simplified

 

We’ve heard that home is where the heart is, and Lockridge agrees!  You’re going to fall in love with a new home that is built on your land, the way you want it.

At Lockridge Homes we make building a new home affordable, with floor plans and options that fit almost any budget.  For many people the idea of financing the construction of their new home can be a little overwhelming.

Questions we hear:

How does a construction loan work?

How does land financing work?

Can I use VA or FHA financing?

Do I make payments while my home is under construction?

Will I qualify for a construction loan?

The truth is, the answer to these and other financing questions will vary based on your specific situation.  Just like the Lockridge home you picked out is just right for you, the same will be true for your financing.

Lockridge thinks building a new home should be affordable, simple and fun.  That’s why we’ve partnered with several lenders who specialize in on-your-own-lot new home construction and they offer financing solutions that can work for you, including:

Construction loans that convert to your permanent loan once your home is completed.

FHA, VA and other loan programs.

Dedicated mortgage loan specialists who can walk you through each step of the process.

Get started by going to the My Budget section of your Lockridge Account!

Want to know more, or have questions about building a new Lockridge home?  You can Ask Helen our online liaison, contact your local Model Home or like us on Facebook

Lockridge is an on-your-own-land new home builder in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website or email us.

 

Moving In

 

Your new Lockridge home is complete and you can’t wait to move in!

If you don’t own a big pick-up truck and have a local sports team on speed-dial, chances are you’re searching for a moving company to help you and your family move into your new home.  But there are so many moving companies, how do you know what to look for and what will help you find the right one?  Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your search.

How long has the moving company been in business?

Experience definitely counts when it comes to moving your worldly possessions!  A good track record will show their ability to move your belongings in a safe manner.

Is the moving company licensed?

Every moving company should have a U.S. Department Of Transportation number.  This is especially important if you are moving from one State to another State.  To ensure your mover’s D.O.T. number is valid, you can search for it on the U.S. Department of Transportation website.  If your move is local or within the State where you live, your mover will need a state license.

Is the moving company insured?

You can also verify the company is insured on the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s website.  It’s never a good idea to use a moving company without a license number or insurance.  Check with the mover to see if your personal items are covered by their insurance during the move.  You should also check with your insurance to see if your homeowners or renters policy covers your items.  If your items are not covered, consider getting supplemental moving insurance.

Does the moving company have a Better Business Bureau rating?

Visit the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site in the moving company’s area to see their rating.  You’ll also be able to read any complaints and see how the company resolved the issue.

How many people will be on the job (your job)?

Ask if the movers are going to wrap and protect your furniture to prevent damages and how long will it take to pack your belongings.  Also ask if you’ll be charged for overtime if it takes longer than the original estimate.

These are a few important questions to ask  and help you determine the company that will best fit your moving situation.

Want to know more, or have questions about building a new Lockridge home?  You can Ask Helen our online liaison, contact your local Model Home or like us on Facebook

Lockridge is an on-your-own-land new home builder in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. (see all our Model Home Centers).  We offer a full service website that allows you to choose floor plans, get complete price quotes, get prequalified for a mortgage, and more.  For more information visit our website or email us.